Aldi has been named Which? Best Value Brand of the Year, after being recognised for its ‘strong performance across a wide range of budget-friendly products’.

It picked up the award at the annual Which? Awards, held at the Science Museum in London on 14 May and hosted by Sue Perkins.

Aldi beat a shortlist that included Lidl, Talkmobile and Hotpoint.

Which? said Aldi secured the title by delivering the highest number of Which? Great Value products across the widest variety of test categories during the 12-month judging period.

The judging panel said: “Aldi consistently provides budget-friendly, high-quality options, ensuring consumers do not have to compromise on performance to save money on everyday essentials.”

The Best Value Brand of the Year award recognises brands releasing products and services across multiple categories that combine strong performance with affordable pricing.

The annual Which? Awards span 13 categories, including retail, banking, utilities, travel, electric vehicles and home appliances. Winners are selected by Which?’s expert judges using criteria including brand performance in product testing and surveys, reliability scores and findings from its investigations.

Which? chief executive Anabel Hoult said: “The Which? Awards celebrate the brands offering truly outstanding products and services. They’re recognised as the gold standard because our independence, rigorous testing and expertise means that when we give our endorsement, consumers and businesses can absolutely trust it.

“I offer my warmest congratulations to every winner. They should be immensely proud, as our standards are exceptionally high.”

The win comes as supermarkets continue to compete heavily on value, with shoppers remaining focused on price and affordability across everyday essentials.

Other winners on the night included John Lewis, which was named Retailer of the Year for the second year in a row, while Octopus Energy won Consumer-First Service of the Year and Talkmobile picked up Utilities Brand of the Year.

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